There was a little girl, whose father was a pastor. One day, she came to her
father and said, "Daddy, can a person go their whole life without sinning?"
The father answered, "No, honey, I’m sorry, but that’s just not possible."
"What about a year, daddy? Can a person go a whole year without sinning?"
She continued. "No, I don’t think that’s possible either." "What about a
day, can a person go a day without sinning once?" "It’s very unlikely, no, I
don’t think they can." "What about one moment, daddy, can a person go one
moment without sinning?" "Yes, that is possible." "Then daddy, I want to
live my life, moment by moment."
Only Christians win at life. That’s because none of us who is human
has the power to hold back our awful enemy, death. But when we have
persevered, we are given the ultimate victory: LIFE that will not end
because our lives are in the hands of the one who defeated death!
"There is great rejoicing in the house of God" Neh. 11:2, 12:30, 43
1. WE ARE IN NEED OF GIVING OURSELVES TO GOD. 11:2
There needs to be a giving of our lives to God. We find in Nehemiah 11 that
the city of God where His presence was in his house was neglected. The
people had come to live back in the land but few were going back into the
city where the temple was to worship God. The city of Jerusalem had many
inhabitants at this time; but not enough to safeguard the city, which was
now encompassed with a wall. Nehemiah therefore asked 1/10 of the country
people to come and dwell in it, that there might be enough for the
safeguarding and defense of the city. Ten were set apart, and the lot cast
among them to see which one of the ten should take up his residence in the
city.
Some volunteered their services, which was considered a sacrifice to
patriotism at that time, as Jerusalem afforded very few advantages. It was a
place of considerable danger. When we choose to be in place of leadership,
we face danger as a Christian. Most of the workers in a church are not paid.
They volunteer and without them, we would be hurting to have good worship
services and a friendly church. I want to thank each one of you who do a
work in the church.
There are people whose hearts were now turned towards the Lord and they
should make the best support for God’s work; but this could not be very
great, as the complete service was not yet established, and the ministers
were few in number. Jesus told us to pray for laborers for harvest was ripe
but the workers were few. Have you been praying for more workers? Have you
offered yourself to work?
It seems these people preferred their own ease and advantage and not to
the spiritual need, which is something that seems to be in every age. Why is
it that even those who have religion seek their own comfort and not the
things of Christ? These people had a connection to holy things and holy
places but found it hard give up pleasure they enjoyed. Should not our souls
delight where opportunities of spiritual development most abound?
If we have not this love to church, and to every thing that assists our
communion with the Savior, how shall we be willing to depart to be absent
from the body, that we may be present with the Lord. To the natural minded,
the perfect holiness of the New Jerusalem would be harder upon them than the
holiness of God’s church on earth. Why do you want to go to heaven?
We need to seek first the favor of God, and his glory. We need to be
patient, contented, and useful in life, and wait, with cheerful hope, for
God’s blessing. It wasn’t enough to see the city walls rebuilt and the
spiritual renewal of the people of Jerusalem now they concerned themselves
with getting more people into the city. For more than seventy years, it had
been a ghost town. Now, over the last eighty or so years, it has been
repopulated, with a new temple built and the walls rebuilt. But the city
still needed more people. Nehemiah also knew the bigger the population of
Jerusalem, the greater the resources for defense and strength in battle. He
didn’t rebuild the walls just to see some conquering army come and break
them down again! It was in these days in the rebuilding of Jerusalem that
God asked and important question through the prophet Zechariah: "For who has
despised the day of small things?" (4:10). My look at this in a spiritual
way is that we need to find more people and bring them into a right
relationship with Christ that we might be more of a force in proclaiming the
message God has given us.
What was it about the city that would have made it an honorable choice to
live there? To live in Jerusalem, you had to alter your view of material
things; you had to give up land in your previous region and take up some
kind of new business in Jerusalem. To live in Jerusalem, you had to
re-arrange your social calendar, surely leaving some friends and family
behind in your life. To live in Jerusalem, you had to have a mind to endure
problems. It had been a ghost town for seventy years and was now a slightly
rebuilt ghost town. The city didn’t look very glorious, and needed work. To
live in Jerusalem, you had to live knowing you were a target for the enemy.
There were strong walls to protect you, but since Jerusalem was now a
notable city with rebuilt walls, the fear was more from whole armies than
bands of robbers. When we come to live for Christ, we see a change much like
thy found in that we have to change the way we view material things. We have
to let go of some things we felt were valuable. We have to live different
and that mean a new job. There will be some friends we had that will no
longer go with us or us with them. We will find there are new problems
because the enemy, the Devil, will cause us trouble. We also become a target
of his fiery darts and we need the shield of faith to protect ourselves.
What makes coming to church and worshipping God a good thing in your life?
Sing praise to Him, Hear the word of God, meet for fellowship, be able to
give as God blesses and give yourself to a work that is greater than
anything this world offers.
The Bible tells us there is a city coming down from heaven to earth, when
God is done with this earth as we know it, and it calls that city New
Jerusalem. All our houses and lives should have holiness to the Lord written
upon them.
The believer should undertake nothing, which he does not dedicate to the
Lord. We are concerned to cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts, when any
work for God is to pass through them. Those that would be employed to
sanctify others, must sanctify themselves, and set themselves apart for God.
To those who are sanctified, all their creature comforts and enjoyments are
made holy.
2. We are in need of giving our praise to God. 12:43
The Levites had many responsibilities in the life and worship of Israel, but
one of the most important jobs they had was to lead the people in songs of
worship and praise to God. They did not sing without musical instruments;
here are specifically mentioned cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps.
The Levites were specially appointed to use these instruments to lead the
people in worshipping God through singing. There were also specially
appointed singers. Since the job of these singers was to lead the people in
worship of God, they had to be good singers; but more importantly, they had
to be people of worship themselves. There is a huge difference between being
a great singer and being a great leader of songs of worship to God; worship
should be excellent, but it isn’t entertainment. The goal isn’t to give the
people a good feeling (though that may happen), but to give glory and honor
to God. (30)
First, those leading worship purified themselves. They could not
effectively lead the people in worship of God unless they were walking in
purity before the Lord.
PURITY of Heart MT 5:8 - Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see
God. 1 JN 3: 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself,
even as he is pure.
PURE THOUGHTS LK 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart
brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of
his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks. MT 15:18-20 - But those things, which proceed out of the
mouth, come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. PHIL 4:8 Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things.
PURE TONGUE PS 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my
heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. JAM
3:8-10 - But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of
deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith
curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same
mouth proceeded blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so
to be.
PURE TESTIMONY JAM 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of
all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield
to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is
always sincere.
Second, those leading worship purified the people. They brought cleansing to
the people the way the Bible said to, knowing that only a purified people
can really worship and praise God. Some might silently object here; they may
say, "I know a person who goes to church and seems to be lost in beautiful
praise and worship to God, and I also know their life is rather impure
outside the church walls. It sure seems they are worshipping God, but are
personally impure." Something is wrong there; probably, their worship is not
a true worship of God in spirit and in truth, but instead a "soul"
experience. All that inwardly moves a person in a deep way is not
necessarily of the spirit; it can be of the soul. One of the great works of
the Word of God is to divide between that which is truly spiritual and that
which is merely soul (Hebrews 4:12). Without purity, we can’t worship God in
spirit and in truth, as Jesus commanded us to (John 4:24). Psalm 24:3-4
asks, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His
holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart", and it means it in the
sense of bringing praise to God. We can be made pure and clean before God
today, right now, by doing what the Bible says to do, not in following an
Old Testament ceremony, but by receiving the word of the New Testament: If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Third, their surroundings were purified. Purified surrounding helps us to
walk in purity consistently; many of our homes and offices could use a good
purification and cleansing! 31-43)
Fourth, Two choirs lead Jerusalem’s great joy. The two large choirs were
called thanksgiving choirs for good reason; all praise and worship must have
a strong element of thanksgiving to God for it to be genuine. Notice that
the singers sang loudly; they had to be heard, because as glorious as the
instruments were, the people would follow the lead of the singers in
worship. With the choirs assembled, and the people spread all about, God
made them rejoice with great joy. They were overwhelmed with joy and
thanksgiving, considering all God had done. This tremendous experience of
worship was for everyone; the women and the children also rejoiced. There
weren’t some who weren’t able to worship. The joy of Jerusalem was heard
afar off their worship was a testimony to others, and what others heard was
not so much the singing itself as the joy. We often worry about others
hearing us sing; but what God wants to hear and what others should hear is
not so much your singing, but your joy.
3. We are in need of giving our gifts to God. 12:30 Other aspects of this
day of joy. This was a day of giving; people brought their offerings, first
fruits, tithes to the storehouse, and they did it with joy because they
enjoyed supporting those ministering on their behalf. This was a day of
purity; it was an ongoing happening, not a one-time ceremony. It was a day
of consecration; holy things were set apart, speaking of the separation unto
God, 27-43. At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, This ceremony of
consecrating the wall and gates of the city was an act of godliness on the
part of Nehemiah, not merely to thank God in a general way for having been
enabled to bring the building to a happy completion, but especially because
that city was the place which He had chosen. It also contained the temple,
which was hallowed by the manifestation of His presence, and anew set apart
to His service. It was on these accounts that Jerusalem was called "the holy
city," and by this public and solemn act of religious observance, after a
long period of neglect and desecration, it was, as it were, restored to its
rightful proprietor. The dedication consisted in a solemn ceremonial, in
which the leading authorities, accompanied by the singers, summoned from all
parts of the country, and by a vast gathering of people, marched in imposing
procession round the city walls, and, pausing at intervals to engage in
united praises, prayer, and sacrifices, supplicated the continued presence,
favor, and blessing on "the holy city." When the solemnities of a
thanksgiving day leave such impressions on ministers and people, that both
are more careful and cheerful in doing their duty, they are indeed
acceptable to the Lord, and turn to good account. And whatever we do must be
purified by the blood of sprinkling, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, or
it cannot be acceptable to God.
Hudson Taylor, "When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it
will not lack God’s support." This day of rejoicing was a high and holy day
for the people and should be our way of life when we truly live for God with
all our being.
